Chavez Jr vs Martinez: Battle for Middleweight Supremacy

Finally, the fight the fans have been asking for has been agreed upon as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez square off on September 15 in Las Vegas in a showdown dubbed as the battle for middleweight supremacy.

Martinez (49-2-2, 8KO), the WBC lineal champion and considered as the people’s champion, finally gets his wish of having the opportunity of trading blows inside the ring with Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32KO’s), whom he previously accused of being a coward after not agreeing to fight him a year ago.

“I want to thank Chavez Jr. for giving me this match,” said Martinez in one of the fight press conference tours. “Finally he agreed to match and stopped running like a chicken.”
Martinez, who will be making his fifth defense of the lineal middleweight title he won when he decisioned Kelly Pavlik two years ago, slammed Chavez Jr. with verbal blows, saying that the flamboyant Mexican can’t handle him.

The 37-year-old champion, who despite his age is still in very good fighting condition, declared that on September 15, he will once again prove that he is the best in the division and one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.

Martinez even suggested to his opponent’s father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., that he should take a picture of his son before the fight because he will not recognize Chavez Jr’s face after the pounding him with his powerful punches in their highly-anticipated showdown.

But on the other hand, Chavez Jr. and his camp also had their share on the trash-talking drama, saying that the 26-year-old Mexican is more than ready to face Martinez and they will be shutting his mouth up in Vegas on September.

“I’m very happy because Chavez Jr. will be well prepared,” Chavez Sr. said. “On September 15, we will shut Maravilla’s mouth.”

Chavez Jr., the reigning World Boxing Council middleweight champion, is coming from an impressive seventh-round knockout win over Andy Lee last month, while Martinez scored a technical knockout win over Matthew Macklin last March.

What's The Better ?Chavez Vs. Martinez or Ward Vs. Dawson Depands On Fans

Four of the best fighters in and around the Middleweight divisions will be competing against one another in back-to-back weeks in September. First, on September 8, Chad Dawson drops down from Light Heavyweight to challenge the undefeated Super Six champion, Andre Ward. Then, on September 15, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. finally steps in against Sergio Martinez, widely regarded as the number 3 pound for pound boxer in the world.

All told, you'll see three of the top 15 fighters in the world, a group which includes the number 1 guy in three consecutive divisions - 160 pounds, 168 pounds and 175 pounds - and two of the best American talents in any weight class, as well as one of the biggest stars in the game.

Both of these fights carry real significance, and should be a treat for fans. That said, which is the better fight, and which is the more important?

Chavez Jr. vs. Martinez

Martinez is the clear top dog and champion at 160 pounds, but after some sanctioning body shenanigans, it's actually JCC Jr. who comes in as the titleholder. Chavez Jr. has been decried by some as much as he has been loved by others thus far in his career, but make no mistake about it, he's the real deal.

He has grown up, in size and fighting ability, quite a bit since he first began getting attention thanks to the name he shares with his father, one of the best fighters in the history of the sport. In a lackluster Middleweight division, he's the clear challenger to Martinez's throne, and will look to use his superior size and strength to unseat the savvy, slick southpaw.

Together, they are the number 1 and 2 fighters in the division, and as mentioned, Martinez carries the reputation as the number 3 pound for pound fighter in the world.

Even better, there has been genuine bad blood between these two in the buildup to this fight. Martinez feels as if Chavez has been ducking him, and he's nothing but a name -- a name who happens to have all of the fans, which based on merit, he feels he rightfully deserves. Chavez Jr. has had enough and is ready to shut him up.

It's a classic styles match-up, and it has the makings of an exciting fight. Martinez likes to draw in his opponents, and wait to pop them with dramatic, flashy shots. Chavez Jr. is somewhat of a bully in the ring, happy to take a few punches in order to land his heavier artillery.